Endless chain cutter for mowing and harvesting machines



July 28,1942.

C, E. BLALACK ENDLESS CHAIN CUTTER FOR MOWING AND HARVESTING MACHINES Filed Feb. 2, 1940 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 v 2 @il Q s v i 5 Q M, Nm-

July 28, 1942. c. E. BLALACK ENDLESS CHAIN CUTTER FOR MOWING AND HARVESTING MACHINES Filed Feb. 2, 1940 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 WLM 6 Patented July 28, I942 UNITED H STAT-ES PATENT OFFICE- ENDLESS em currna non Mowme AND HARVESTING moms Charles E. sma k, El Centro, Calif. Application February 2, 1940, Serial No. 316,944

iclsims, (01.564 1; cutter have been too far separated from the This invention relates to the cutter or sickle of a mower or harvesting machine, and refers particularly to an endless chain cutter. At present, the mowers in general use are provided with a stationary cutter bar with which cooperates a reciprocating cutter bar, which isreciprocated by the operation of the pitman. Such, mowers may be efiectively operated-at a maximumspeed of about three miles-per hour,' and at such speed the pitman operates at about 800 revolutions per minute composed of 1,600

, of the cutters.

plane of the intended cooperatingcutting action By means .of the present inventhan, an endless chain cutter is provided in which the plane of cooperating cutting action is brought close to the line of pull between the links forming the endless chainyand the individuallinksi and their cutting faces so formed as to provide large wear or destruction characteristic of the present reciprocating type of mowe In accordance with the present invention, the cutter of the mower is chain, the individual links of which chain are provided by an endless provided with cutting blades and two sides of the chain positioned for cooperative cutting action. In the mowerof the present invention the cutters are constantly moving at uniformspeed as disof the cutters no the cutters 'may ;be operated 'at considerably reduced speed and ,still effect the same cutting operation. Thus, for example, a standard mower tinguished from the reciprocating type of action I in use, with the result that of the reciprocating cutter bar type for each 36 7 inches of wheel travel moves the cutting bar a distance of 60 inches, whereas with the mower of the present invention equal cutting may be accomplished with a movement of the cutting chain of only 15 inches, although somewhat higher speeds for improved mowing are preferred, such as, for example, 24 inches. Y The endless chain cutters heretofore proposed for use in mowers and harvesters have proved unsatisfactory and are not at presentin prac-, tical use. As previously designed, 'the cutting knives of the endless chain cutters have not been maintained in proper cutting relation, but in practice thevtwo sides of the endless chain have pulled apart, or the cooperating cutting knives have had a tendency. to pivot with respect to each other. I have discovered that this defect in the previous chain cutter has been due to the fact and which -guard means is justed to compensate for wear;

cooperating areas designed to inhibit relative pivotingof the cutting knives, e.

.It is,- therefore, an'object tion to provide an endlessc ain cutter in'which the individual links of the chainjcutter'and the cutting blade attached thereto are so formed as to show the line of pull on-thecha'in as nearly as. possible to the intended" plane of cutting action; g Further objects of the present invention are to provide an endless chain cutter for a mower with the guard mea'ns by which the cooperating sections of the chain may be held in, proper position Various further objects and advantagesof the present invention vwill be apparent from a description of the preferred form or example of a mower or harvester embodyingthe present in-,

vention. Thereis hereafter described, in con nection with the accompanying drawings, such a preferred form of therefor. Referring tothe drawings:

Figure l is a top plan view.

' Figure 2 is-a rearelevation.

'mower' or cutter or sickle Figure 4- is an enlarged vertical section on the lined-lofFigure 1. Figure 5 is a diagrammatic elevation of the Figure 1.

that the line of pull on the chains forming the Figure 6 is an elevation, partially insection, of the outer shoe.

Figure 7 is a perspective view ofthe cooperating chain cutters;

Figure 8 is a perspective view link of the cutting ch'ain.

Figure 9 is a fragmentary detail showing a modifledform of cutting blade.

Referring to-the drawings, the sickle or'cutter is supported at one end by the bifurcated frame member-'2. The bifurcated member ,2 has spacedarms I and 4 supporting,an axle}. For this purpose, the arms 3 and 4, respectively, support I. of the present invencap'a-ble of being ad- I Figure 3 is an enlarged vertical section on the line3-3ofFigure1.

movement of the chain cutter on the line 5-5 ofof. an individualscrew I3.

' has arms 2| carrying a wheel 22.

and adapted to be driven by with a complementary curved portions/being separated, as indicated permit the insertion of the pins formed by abar portion and by a bar Ii,

pins 8 and I which are threaded the endsof the-axle 5. The axle as mounting a sprocket 8- for the inner end of the chain, and between the sprocket and axle is provided a bearing 8; The sprocket 8 has its hub iii threaded to. a sprocket I I, whichsprocket is intended to receive a chain. llflwhich may lead to the 'power take-off (not shown) of the mower. The sprocket ll ,flts against the shoulder I! of the axle and the sprockets 8 and ii are held in position by a sleeve I! having a set a and 1 are respectively journaled i6, and to the shoe H, a further flexible Thepins 18 is bolted, as indicated at shoe it. The shoe It further supports the end the purpose of At its supporting the guide 20 of the cutter.

outer end the bar it The bar II to a bracket is also at its outer end further bolted 23, which carries a pin 24 mounting a sprocketaround which the outer end of the chain cutter is trained. The cutting chain is, therefore. endlessly connectedbetween sprockets I and II power from the sprocket ll. a

The construction of the cutting chain is an important feature of the present invention. The individual links, as clearly indicated in Figures 7 and 8, are formed out of a single piece of flat metal, one portion 26 of which is originaliyof a lar shape, although the corners thereof may be rounded. and tends in the form of a triangle therefrom to form a cut in the chain portion 26 of the flat plate to allow the insertion of sprocket teeth through the chain, and in cutting said opening two tongue portions are 6m- -vided, one of which is curved into about-three quarters of a circle, as indicated at 21, to form end of the link link, the two at 28, in

at the end of the order to. on adjacent links. The opposite tongue portion formed'incutting the central opening is bent out, as indicated at 29, to adjacent downwardly bent portion of thereotangular portion of the plate to form a pin on the end of the link adapted to similar adjacent link. Thus,- each link of the chain is formed of a single piece of metal and comprises an eye and a pin connected continued to form the cutting blade bars 0 and 3| lie in the same plane as the cutting blade 32, and said plane passes through the inner edges of the portion "forming the end the link. All of such parts, therefore, are capable of cooperating together to form bearing surfaces for the individual of bearing against similar surfaces of the opposite side of the chain when the two oppositely moving chain portions are brought into face to a in Figu e 7. Each 111- face contact, as indicated dividual link of the chain has its bar 3| shaped the other portion 32 of which ex- 1 cooperate with the be received withlinks capable -bars 30 and I of the is fixed to a plate II which individual links of the substantially rectangutangentially to form a cutting blade 32 having a beveled cutting face 33. The lower face of the cutting blade 32, as indicated in Figure 8, lies in the plane of the bearing surfaces of he link and is thus adapted to lie truly flatagainst a similar face of the cutting blades of the adjacent portion of the chain. l

operating chains disposed more ment with a'aon-iaa into sockets in I is indicated between the same consisting not only over the areas of the blades links, as well as portions of the eye 21, whichcooperating contact surfaces of of the opposite sides of the chain Permit the same cutting relation without relative pivoting or tilting, which is found to seriously interfere with the action of the cutter where permitted. An important feature in securing or maintaining the proper cutting relation between the two oppositely moving portions of the chain is the formation of the links, as described, with the haunt the link which connect the eyes and pins of the link in substantially the same plane as the cutter blades 32 and at a substantial tangent with the eyes of the link. Such formation of the individual links of the chain brings a line of pull on the oppositely moving sections of the chain as close as possible to the plane of cutting action of the cutter. Previously designed endless cutters which have had the lines of pull on the two coremotely from found to be relavide a narrow opening through which the cutting blades 32 of the adjacent chain portions may extend and the inner ends of the plate members 35 and 38 are clamped together by bolts 31, which likewise support the plate members on the bar 1!. .The inner faces-of the plate members 36 and 31 are intended to provide bearing contact with the outer'faces of the links of the chain and to thereby hold the cooperating portions of the chainin the proper cutting relationship. For this purpose, shims 38 are provided between the plates 35 and I, which are removable for substitution of different-sized shims in order to take care of any wear of either the guides or the links of the chain which might tend to permit adjacent chain portions to separate. It is to be understood that the inner faces of guides 35 and 36 may, if desired, be lined with bearing the inner faces may be to be held and moved in proper the guide and the sprocket 8 driven curved to form an eye in a direction to oppose the pull fixed on the lower chain portion.

By means of the mower thus described it has been found possible to secure mowing speeds much higher than is permissible with the present reciprocating type of mower cutters. other advantages of the mower of the present invention exist. The mower,

1. A link for an endless chain cutter or a harvester, said link being formed ofa metal plate and having a cutting blade portion and a link portion, the link portion having a central opening for receiving a sprocket pin, and tongues formed at said opening bent to form eyes and pins for said link. the plane of the cutting blade portion passing tangential to the eye of the link portion, so that contact may be maintained betweenboth the link portions and plate portions of cooperatingl 2. A cutter said cutter being formed ofa plate of metal having a link portion anda cutter bladeportion,

the link portion having a central opening defining two bars, the cutter blade being an extensionof one of said bars, the plate at one end of th link portion being bent to form an eye and at the other end of the link portion to form a pin adapted to fit within a similar eye'in an adjacent j link member, the plane of the cutter blade includresponding parts of the cooperating cutter.

3. A sickle for a harvester machine, comprising sprockets, an endless chain trained over said sprockets, guide means for the portions of said chain intermediate said sprockets, said guide means beingadapted to hold the oppositely moving portions of the chain in face-to face contact, and means for adjusting said guide means to compensate for wear the individual links of said endless chain being formed of metal plates ineluding chain portions having central openings to fit over said-sprockets leaving front and rearward bars, the link portion of said plate being at one end and 'a pin at the other end, the forward bar or the link portion having cutting blades.

4. A sickle for a harvesting machine, comprising a pair of sprockets, an endless chain cutter trained over said sprockets-a cutter guide int'erposed between said sprockets and adapted to retain the oppositely moving portions or said for an endless harvester chain,.

cutter chain in face to face contact for cooperating cutting action, said guide including upper and lower plates relative to each other to compensate'for Many - formed of cutting links, each cutting, linkbeing formed of a plate of metal having a link portion wear.

5. A sickle for a harvesting machine, compris} ing a pair of sprockets, an endless chain trained over said sprockets, said endless chain :being the otherbar, each cutter link tion at one end and an .eye portion at the other end for connection with adjacent cutting links arranged to permit the contact to .bemaintained between the oppositely moving portions cutting of the endless chain with the race of the cutting blades and bars of the cutting links contacting the corresponding elements of the cooperating responding elements sprockets and. adapted to retain the oppositely moving portions ofsaid chain in said contacting,

responding elements of the cooperating cutting links, and a cutter guide interposed between-said sprockets and adapted to retain the oppositely moving portion or said chain and lower blades. and means for adjusting said blades relative to each other to compensate-for the wear or the cutting links.

CHARLES E. BLALACK.

or the cutting blades and'bars of the cutting links contacting the coroi the cooperating cutting I links, and a cutter guide interposed between said the face of the cutting blades 1 

